The first of these events, 'Pioneers of Saudi,' conducted at the University of Business and Technology in the Jeddah campus. This event has been initiated in cooperation by INJAZ Al-Arab -the Middle East chapter of Junior Achievement (JA) Worldwide-the largest global not-for-profit organization exclusively dedicated to business education-and social media application TikTok, in collaboration with INJAZ Saudi.
This launch event is part of a series of groundbreaking initiatives aimed at empowering 2 million Saudi youth with essential employability and entrepreneurial skills, in alignment with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030. The event will feature a ‘How to TikTok’ workshop for 50 UBT students, followed by a Masterclass on Content Creation Production. Students will then participate in a challenge on content creation, showcasing their creativity and strategic thinking in a practical setting, and winners will be announced.
Aqef Aqrabawi, president and CEO of INJAZ Al-Arab, said: “We are delighted to commence our partnership with TikTok with the ‘Pioneers of Saudi’ event to inspire future business leaders in Saudi Arabia. We remain steadfast in our commitment to nurturing a culture of creativity, inclusion, and collaboration, propelling us toward a future where young people craft their own success stories. Mentorship is a critical driving force in empowering youth to achieve their ambitions and our partnership with TikTok will engage minds, stimulate creativity, and motivate students to drive positive change”.
Hatem Samman, Executive Director of Government Relations & Public policy, KSA, said "Through our collaboration with INJAZ Al Arab, we are taking meaningful steps to bridge the gap between talent, employment, and entrepreneurial opportunities. This partnership goes beyond teaching skills, it creates real pathways for young Saudis to not only succeed but also drive the Kingdom's economic and social progress".
The partnership between TikTok, INJAZ Al-Arab and INJAZ Saudi seeks to inspire students to seek employment and explore creating their own opportunities in the dynamic world of entrepreneurship. This event, including many others planned in the series, will influence the broader community, and contribute to the development of a more entrepreneurial culture in Saudi Arabia. The initiative is designed to engage university students in the real-world challenges of entrepreneurship, business management, and financial literacy.
The initiative aims to facilitate the creation of 50 student enterprises across universities on two major programs – The Company Program and It’s my Business Program. Students will go on to a nation-wide competition for the ‘Company of the Year’ Award. The winning team would then advance to the regional competition, INJAZ AL Arab’s capstone event the “Youth Entrepreneurship Celebration”, which would gather students from across 13 MENA countries.
Injaz, in partnership with TikTok, looks to organize both offline and online interactive learning sessions with 6,000 high school and university students through 85 educational institutions across Saudi Arabia. These experiential learning activities will arm the students with various vital skills that will be provided directly by professionals in specific industries, thus bridging the knowledge gap between theoretical education and actual experience.
